Ten Seconds
by Badass6Hckr
Summary: When hell broke loose, Caitlin got caught in the crossfire and Barry wasn't fast enough to save her. Now she has to make every second she still has count before she departures.


What would you do? What would say?  
My advice: _Make every second_ _ **count**_ _._

Caitlin never thought she was going die because of two bullets in her stomach. If anything, she imagined it be because of an experiment gone wrong, or maybe because of something normal, like an ill-fated car accident. She was a bioengineer, whose life belonged in the lab and her heart belonging to-

To someone who isn't just hers to have.

Here she is, though, being cradled by Barry, crying and afraid. Afraid that this is the last time they're going to be together. And in their case, it was.

One.

Caitlin's head was on Barry's lap so she can see his glassy eyes. Blood came out of her mouth when she started talking.

"I know this isn't what you expected when you told me something will happened tonight." She smiled at him and he gave her a sad smile when the tears fell.

"I'm gonna tell you something..." A trail of blood ran down from the side of her mouth. "And it's going to be the most selfish thing I'll ever say."

Two.

"Shhh, you're gonna be fine, Cait. You can tell me when your better." Caitlin shook her head at Barry who was trying his best to be strong for her, and if she wasn't feeling so weak from the blood loss, she would've tried on a smile for size just to make him stop looking like he's about to cry.

"I'm just gonna tell you this once, Barry." He felt his heart stop and she gathered everything she has left, and put her hand on his cheek.

"I love you, Barry."

Three.

"I love so much that I can't be selfish with you, Barry." This time, Barry shakes his head at her, feeling like his world is falling apart. He was holding her, like he never wants to go.

He doesn't want to.

"I don't deserve you, Barry. Iris does." He shook his head again, harder. He is trying to tell Caitlin that she does. But she just shook her head a little and pressed their foreheads together. She can feel his tears fall on her cheeks.

Four.

 _I wish I had more time._ Caitlin thought.

"And God... I wish you weren't here to see me like this." Barry held her closer. "No, Caitlin... stay with me, Cait... Please don't leave me..."

Five.

Caitlin can feel her body weakening but she can't give up, she couldn't, at least not yet. Her hand slipped from Barry's face. Thankful for his speed, he caught it and held it on his chest tight.

Six.

"Cisco, do something." Cisco's heart broke watching Barry hold onto Caitlin desperately but there's nothing he can do now. He felt his own tears falling. "I'm sorry, Barr."

Caitlin did her best to hold on, she lifted my head and gave Barry a bloody kiss on the cheek. And the last thing she said to him before she struggled breathing was:

"It's okay."

Seven.

"I have so much I want to say." Barry looked at Caitlin again.

"Me too, Cait." He pressed harder at her wound to put pressure on the bloody mess that was her stomach. He stopped when she whispered something and he just looked at her.

He kissed her like his life depended on it, and maybe, in that moment, it did..

Eight.

Caitlin can tell that she finally drifted away cause the world faded around her. She can't even see Barry anymore.

Her hero.

Nine.

Barry felt Caitlin' hand loosening from his hold.

"No, don't go... please stay." He was begging. Begging for dear life for her to hold on. To live. For herself. For Cisco. For the Team.

For him and everything that could be.

Because the alternative was just too blindingly painful that Barry couldn't even begin to contemplate it.

Ten.

Everything slowed down for Barry when Caitlin breathed her last. He released a painful cry but he still held her body tight.

"Come back, Cait... come back." At first, it came out as a choked sob that somehow became a scream but in the end it was just a barely heard whisper.

"Barry, stop." Cisco squeezed his best friend's shoulder, trying to comfort but knows that there is nothing he can do. That the only person who could do so is on the stone cold floor.

And she's never going to be able to do it, to do _anything_ , ever again.


End file.
